


I'm Not Gonna Teach Him How to Dance With You

by spacesdykes



Category: Mean Girls - Richmond/Benjamin/Fey
Genre: Angst, Cady is bisexual i swear, F/F, Jealousy, Not Happy, Pining, Secret Crush, Songfic, Useless Lesbians, im sorry, janis sarkisian deserves happiness, my mom beta read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-28 19:21:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18212522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacesdykes/pseuds/spacesdykes
Summary: //Songfic: Based on and contains lyrics of "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You" by  Black Kids//Honestly, everything had worked out okay in Janis’ eyes.Well, except for one thing.Cady had a boyfriend. Aaron Samuels.





	I'm Not Gonna Teach Him How to Dance With You

_You are the girl that I’ve been dreaming of ever since I was a little girl_

 

Even when she was really little, Janis showed signs of liking girls. She always got extremely invested in and nervous around her friendships with other girls; at least a lot more than they were. She thought it was just a _her_ thing. That it came from her emotional maturity or her capacity to feel things extremely deeply. Her brain was too filled up with heteronormative culture to know it at the time, but she was so invested and nervous around her friendships with other girls because she didn’t just feel friendly love for them. The felt _love_ love. She had little school girl crushes on her friends, and she didn’t even know.

 

It wasn’t until her early teen years that she found out what being a lesbian even _was._ She was watching a movie with Regina, braiding her hair and pampering her as usual when it came on the screen. Two girls kissing. And twelve-year-old Janis Sarkisian had an epiphany. She saw herself there and for the first time in her life she felt that instant connection. That was her. 

 

Though, Regina had scrunched up her nose in disgust. 

 

“Ew.” The twelve-year-old blonde remarked simply, “Gross.”

 

Janis hesitated in her response, filling up with horror. It took her some time before she half-heartedly nodded in agreement. She had hoped Regina wouldn’t notice her hesitation. But she did. She always did.

 

_“Janis, I can’t have you at my pool party because I think you’re a lesbian. And I can’t have a lesbian at my party because there’s gonna be girls there in their bathing suits.”_

 

Janis’ brain had gone fuzzy when she saw it. 

 

**_SPACE DYKE_ **

 

In big angry letters, scratched into her locker door. 

 

She had been too shocked to cry. She just stared at it as people passed her, whispering and laughing. 

 

She told herself everyone would forget about it soon.

 

She was wrong.

 

The name stuck and every joke, whisper, glare, and prank wore down on her. 

 

She’d cried, begging her dad to take her out of school. She couldn’t take it any more. Defeated, her dad agreed. Janis finished middle school in the safety of her home. 

 

When Janis returned to school for freshman year she was a completely different person. She was tougher and stronger; surer of herself. The art therapy had helped a lot. She had finally come to terms with her sexuality. She looked different. She felt different. She _was_ different.

 

The bullying continued, of course. But she handled it. And it was easier, with her newfound friend Damian by her side.

 

And so it went on until junior year came, and Cady Heron walked into their lives. 

 

Janis was captivated by her immediately. Gorgeous. Sweet. Kind. Innocent. 

And then she caught the eye of none other than Regina George herself. All of their lives were thrown into a blender and Janis put her feelings for Cady aside in favour of a revenge plot against Regina. Cady changed and then changed again. She won Spring Fling queen, apologized for her mistakes, and then everyone was together and supposedly happy. Regina even apologized to Janis. Getting hit with a bus was a real wake up call for her. The Plastics shifted. Everyone was trying to be better.

 

Honestly, everything had worked out okay in Janis’ eyes.

 

Well, except for one thing. 

 

Cady had a boyfriend. Aaron Samuels. 

 

Janis liked to think that Cady had gone through with the revenge plan for her. But part of her knew she was lying to herself.

 

And once the storm had cleared after the dance, and the revenge plot was put to rest, it became increasingly harder for Janis to cope with her feelings for Cady. She was still head over heels, and there was no social distraction to keep her attention away from her crush.

 

But Cady was with Aaron. And she seemed happy. And Janis hated that. And she hated herself for hating that.

 

_One: I’m biting my tongue_

 

She wanted to let it all out so badly. She wanted to tell her. Tell her how she felt. Tell her how her feelings were exploding like atomic bombs in World War Two Japan. But Janis saw the smile on Cady’s face when Aaron put his arm around her. She heard her giggle after she and Aaron kissed. She didn’t want to be the one who ruined that. She couldn’t be.

 

_Two: He’s kissing on you_

 

Janis had made a promise to herself that she’d never wish she was anyone else. But that promise was hard to keep every time Aaron’s lips touched Cady’s. Every hug, every snuggle. Janis wished she could be him. She wished she could be him so it’d be easier for everyone. 

 

_The word’s on the street and it’s on the news_

 

After Spring Fling everyone knew that Cady and Aaron were a couple. Even though Aaron wasn’t a student at North Shore anymore, he’d come by almost every day after school to see Cady. They were the poster couple. 

 

It was a just week after the dance when it happened. Cady and Janis were walking home together when Cady started talking about her stupid perfect boyfriend.

 

“He’s just so amazing, you know? In almost every way.” The girl from Africa told her friend, her blue eyes wide and dreamy.

 

Janis couldn’t swallow the lump in her throat, “Yeah?” 

 

“Yeah.” Cady nodded, “There's just one thing… did you see us dancing at the Spring Fling.”

 

Janis hadn’t. Damian forced her not to look, knowing it would hurt too much. The picture of them together in her head was terrible enough.

 

“He’s dreamy but… gosh, Janis, he can’t dance for his life. I wanted it to be amazing but it was really kind of awkward. I love him, I do… I just. I wish that _one_ thing was better. Can you help me? Teach him, please.”

 

_I’m not gonna teach him how to dance with you. He’s got two left feet, and he bites my mood. I’m not gonna teach him how to dance with you._

 

Janis blinked, “I’m not much of a dancer myself.” 

 

“I saw you slow dancing with Damian. It was funny, but it wasn’t awkward. It was good. You’re the person I trust the most Janis. Teach him how to dance with me. Please?” Cady squeezed Janis’ hand and looked at her with puppy dog eyes.

 

Damn that girl and her beautiful eyes. 

 

_The second I do, I know we’re gonna be through. I’m not gonna teach him how to dance with you._

 

According to Cady, there was only one thing wrong with Aaron. One thing wrong with the perfect poster boy who stood between Janis and the girl she loved. 

 

And Cady wanted Janis to fix that. To block the one chance she seemed to have at winning Cady’s heart. 

 

Janis felt like a terrible person. For the millionth time, she hated herself for seeing Aaron’s fault as an opportunity. But she couldn’t help herself. Her mind screamed C _ady, Cady, Cady._

 

And it wouldn’t shut up. 

 

_He don’t suspect a thing… I wish you’d get a clue._

 

“Thanks for doing this, Janis.” Aaron grinned with that stupid perfect smile of his. 

 

“Whatever.” Janis mumbled and stepped towards him, “Let's just do this quick. Put your hand on my waist. And the other on my shoulder. Okay, good. Now just follow my lead.” 

 

They danced. Aaron only stepped on her feet a couple of times, and he moved a bit stiffly, but he was getting better.

 

“Cady’s gonna want you to lead, so you better practice that.” Janis told him miserably. 

 

Aaron sniffed, “Oh, okay. How do I do that?”

 

“Just… do what I did. Sway to the music, and just smoothly take me along with you.”

 

Aaron was a quick learner. By the time they were done he had improved immensely.

 

Janis felt like she was going to vomit.

 

_I’m not gonna teach him how to dance with you._

 

“He took me out last night.” Cady told Janis at lunch one day, “And it was _so_ much better. Thank you so much for doing that for me.”

 

The blue-eyed girl reached over and wrapped Janis in a tight hug.

 

Janis choked back tears.

 

“Anytime.” 

 


End file.
